How To Train the Wolf King – Accidentally Spending the Night Together and Triggering the Death Flag,

Chapter 35: I can’t hear you scream

“To make the Wolf King self-destruct.”

Margaery blinked at Minister Freed, who spoke with eyes filled with pleasure.

“How can you make Yuri-sama self-destruct…”

She stopped herself mid-sentence and gasped. 

It was a question that didn’t need to be asked. 

In the novel, Julius met a certain end. A strong, lonely, pitiful king. 

“Magic overload. . .”

Freed’s eyes widened with interest at the words that slipped out unintentionally.

“Well, well. I never thought there would be someone in this country who could have that possibility. You never cease to amaze me.”

Margaery looked away from the delighted Freed.

The Wolf King was absolute in the Legrand Kingdom. She didn’t think there was any weakness to exploit. The awe and respect directed towards Wolf King elevated him to a god-like status.

However, even Wolf King had weaknesses. An overwhelming amount of magic power that a human body couldn’t handle. Sometimes, that strength threatened the king.

“Miss Margaery, do you know anything about the Saintess?”

“Huh?”

Margaery tilted her head at the unrelated question. He was pleased to know that there were things only he knew. Freed grinned smugly.

“The Saintess. An existence that appears near the Wolf King, supporting the king and healing the people. ――Have you ever wondered why they are born in this country periodically?”

“W-well. . .”

“No, it’s not unreasonable. In the Legrand Kingdom, the Wolf King is absolute, and the Saint is also sacred. Why doubt the gods when born in a peaceful world? Only outsiders have doubts. If you investigate too eagerly, you’ll end up being one of those who plan to kill the gods.”

Then Freed spread his arms in a theatrical gesture.

“I consider the Saint to be the ‘collar’ of the Wolf King.”

“‘Collar’?”

“A limiter that keeps the king in human form. A safety valve to prevent massive magical power from going out of control. That’s why they were born.”

The first Saint, Lyra. The second Saint, Luna. The third Saint, Emilia. The fourth Saint, Liliane. And the Saint of the novel “Cinderella Suddenly,” Flora Hermeia.

What does it mean to call them collars?

“Isn’t it strange? Those born with magical power, especially those with strong magical power, often suffer from magical intoxication or lose control of their power. However, the Wolf King never shows any signs of it. Is it the blessing of the sacred beast that gave him power, or is it a unique constitution? To investigate this, I secretly searched through the records of the kings, their close aides, and the royal physician from generation to generation.”

And he realized it. The Wolf King is not a unique constitution or a god. They are also just human beings.

“The kings from generation to generation also had symptoms that seemed to be magical intoxication. Nausea, dizziness, sudden fever of unknown cause, and sudden drowsiness. The symptoms are different, but they tend to be seen in magical intoxication.”

However, they all uniformly lacked records of symptoms that could be attributed to magical intoxication at some point.

As they followed numerous records, they discovered a certain change that occurred at the same time.

“So, you’re saying that’s the awakening of the Saint?”

“Exactly. After each Saint’s awakening, there are no records of the Wolf King experiencing magical intoxication.”

The Saint’s proof. It was an extraordinary power of healing and blessing. Those who received the Saint’s blessing temporarily increased their physical and magical abilities, becoming stronger.

“But those were just byproducts. From here on, it’s my hypothesis, but the Saint’s true ability is to enhance the Wolf King. By stabilizing magic itself, it reduces the physical burden caused by handling vast amounts of magic. That’s why the kings of each generation were able to perform miracles that ordinary people couldn’t, without causing magical outbursts.”

“That’s. . .”

While shaking her head, Margaery instinctively thought that Freed’s theory was correct. Because in the novel, Flora awakened as the Saint precisely in Wolf King’s critical situation.

Julius, who was exhausted by a violent magical outburst, died. Nevertheless, the only reason he was able to regain his sanity in the end was that the Saint was the counterpart to the Wolf King.

“The Wolf King and the Saint are two halves of one whole. They are like a pair bound by magic. They become perfect only when they are paired. Paradoxically, the Wolf King before obtaining the Saint is incomplete. Like the current King Julius.”

“That’s why I isolated him,” Freed twisted his lips.

“By keeping Prince Serge away and inciting the influential members of my sister’s Faction, we never let the seed of hatred die and nurtured the roots of grudges, building a trench of thorns. And what happened? The king is now a mass of distrust. He hates himself, trusts no one, and in the true sense, no one can approach him. He’s a lonely king who thoroughly excludes others, remaining incomplete.”

As long as the king doesn’t open his heart, the saint will not be born. Without obtaining half of it, Julius becomes more and more unstable. That distortion will eventually burst with a small trigger.

For example, something like the unfortunate misconception that attacked Julius in the novel.

“The preparations are complete. The king, who is covered in distrust, trusts and forgives no one. If we stimulate his dark and closed heart, a tremendous amount of magic power will burst out and devour the king himself. I’ve been waiting for that opportunity for a long time. ――And then, you appeared.”

“At first, you were a nuisance.” Freed shook his head and sighed.

“You easily entered the heart of the king we isolated. I even felt a sense of crisis towards that man who was visibly regaining his soft expression. Moreover, you have magical powers. I was worried every day that you might awaken as the Saint. 

However, on the other hand, it was also a stroke of luck. If we lose the woman he trusted so much, what will happen to the king’s fragile heart? I thought that your death would be the key to destroying that wolf of a man.”

“. . . So, you were the one behind the demon beast attack in the forest the other day?”

With conviction in her voice, Margaery looked at Freed, who grinned.

“Yes. Yes, that’s right. I released the demon beasts in the forest to kill Margaery De Noel, a woman with magical aptitude who is also close to the king. Well, I didn’t expect you to have the skills to escape from the demon beasts, so I failed.”

“So you kidnapped me. To make sure you kill me this time.”

“Yes. I will torture you, break your spirit, and thoroughly humiliate you before destroying you like garbage. ――All to destroy that man.”

With a clanging sound, the iron bars opened, and several men entered. In the dim light, Freed frowned regretfully as he commanded the men.

“It’s a shame to lose such a smart woman like you. A real shame. But it can’t be helped. ――Disappear, Margaery De Noel. For me. For my long-cherished desire to hunt down the hated wolf.”

“Oh, my. You talk big, but in the end, you rely on others. Don’t you have the courage to kill a single girl?”

The large men approached her, but Margaery refused to be intimidated. She couldn’t let these people be happy. With that in mind, she racked her brain for a way out.

Was there anything she could do? Any dramatic breakthrough? 

(The necklace given to her by Yuri-sama. . . If only I could touch it, I could call for Yuri-sama. . .!)

Her hands were tied behind her back. Unfortunately, she couldn’t reach the necklace.

In the meantime, the men closed in on her. It was like a huge cage was closing in on her.

Should she pretend to be scared and cry out for them to release her restraints? Or should she try to enrage them and have them rip off the necklace? The latter was a gamble, but she might be able to touch it while they were distracted.

――However, as if mocking her plan, one of the men reached out to touch the necklace at her chest.

Seeing Margaery pale as the necklace was touched, Freed pitied her and said,

“It’s useless. We already know that this necklace is your trump card from the incident in the forest.”

He pulled the necklace hard. The chain dug into her soft skin, causing pain.

“――Goodbye, Margaery de Noel. It was nice talking to you, such a beautiful woman.”

With a snap, the chain was ripped off.

As if that was the signal, the men jumped at her. The grotesqueness of their hands trying to touch her made Margaery tightly close her eyes and scream――.

But.

“――Don’t touch Margaery.”

Just like before, a sharp flash ran through the cell.

Then came the muffled screams and the sound of people falling.

She opened her eyes fearfully and was surprised.

In front of her was a back. A black back that shielded Margaery and emitted tremendous magical power.

“Don’t you dare touch my Margaery with your filthy hands!!”

With his tail swaying and flames of anger burning in his red eyes, Julius barked like that.

The king, Julius, had spoken in that way.